SiloGen strengthens its leadership and prepares for further expansion

Silo AI, one of Europe's largest private AI labs, prepares for further expansion by welcoming five key additions to its ranks. Henry Tirri, Aarne Talman, Sami Uskela, Ville Ilves, and Magnus Sahlgren join the core SiloGen team in different capacities. SiloGen is Silo AI’s product subsidiary, developing large language models (LLMs) and generative AI technology.

• SiloGen prepares for further expansion by strengthening the team with five new roles. Henry Tirri and Aarne Talman for technology, Sami Uskela for operations, Ville Ilves for business development and Magnus Sahlgren for LLMs.
• Headed by Silo AI CEO and co-founder Peter Sarlin, SiloGen develops technology for developing trustworthy large language models and generative AI.
• SiloGen is building technology for more accurate, trustworthy, and robust downstream applications of LLMs, with the mission of ensuring Europe's digital sovereignty in generative AI. 

Silo AI gathered some of Europe’s leading experts in language technology and launched SiloGen in April, with the aim to build generative AI technology for European digital sovereignty. The team has a pedigree from leading companies and universities like Google, Meta, Apple, Stanford University and Columbia University, as well as experience from LLM initiatives like LLM training on Europe’s most powerful supercomputer LUMI, AI Sweden's GPT-SW3 and University of Turku's FinGPT models. Two months after the launch, the team has witnessed a rapidly growing demand for accurate, trustworthy and robust custom LLMs. There is a clear need for LLMs that can be finetuned and instructed to be optimal for a wide range of specialized use cases, and eventually allow for the processing of private, proprietary and confidential data.

SiloGen is already using its technology to develop LLMs for a large number of customers, while also training their own foundation models. Now, SiloGen reinforces its team with five accomplished technology executives to cater to the increasing demand and prepare for further expansion. Henry Tirri and Aarne Talman for technology, Sami Uskela for operations, Ville Ilves for business development, and Dr. Magnus Sahlgren for LLMs. As an expansion to previously announced roles, Magnus, who has led the development of GPT-SW3 at AI Sweden and RISE, now takes the lead of foundation model development, whereas Aarne Talman will be serving as Head of Technology. Below is a longer coverage of newcomers Henry, Sami and Ville.

"Two months after launching SiloGen, it has become evident that companies have a strong need for custom fine-tuned LLMs. And we can observe that SiloGen’s technology and approach significantly helps companies build LLMs to be more accurate, trustworthy, and robust. With Henry, Ville, Sami, Aarne and Magnus in their new roles, we have the expertise and resources to build and scale our operations to meet market needs." Peter Sarlin, Silo AI CEO.

Henry Tirri joins SiloGen as Chief Technology Officer

As a former professor in the field, Henry Tirri is a technology executive and a visionary, recognized for his deep expertise in AI, machine learning and data analytics. During his 25+ years within the technology and communications sectors, Henry has held positions such as CTO and EVP at Nokia, CTO at Samsung HARMAN, and CTO and EVP at Interdigital. He has led advancements in telecom, video, AI, and emerging technologies across North America, Europe, and Asia. 

His academic career includes a tenured professorship in computer science at the University of Helsinki and Stanford University, as well as an Adjunct Professorship in civil engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He graduated from the University of Helsinki with a PhD in computer science.

"I joined Silo AI because it aligns perfectly with my passion for innovation, new technologies, and their economic and societal impact. Having pursued AI and machine learning as my academic field, I am thrilled to be a part of the transformative era of engineering and the application of AI. Silo AI, one of Europe's largest private AI labs, is at the forefront of these developments, making it an ideal company for me to contribute to and influence the industry, European policies, and the business environment. I am excited to be in a role that allows me to leverage my expertise and drive positive change in this dynamic field", Henry Tirri, CTO at SiloGen, says. 

Sami Uskela to scale SiloGen's operations

Sami, who will join SiloGen at the end of August, is a seasoned business leader with a multi-disciplinary background across technology, strategy, and finance. He has a strong track record of leading complex programs in multiple areas, such as operations, finance, strategy definition, technical development, capability building and change management. 

Sami has gained this experience during his 20+ year career, which includes roles such as VP of Technology and Portfolio Management at InterDigital and COO of Nokia Technologies. He is also an innovator with over 40 patents.

Sami Uskela, Head of Operations at SiloGen, comments: 

"I am thrilled to be joining Silo AI at this pivotal moment, reminiscent of my experiences when I joined Nokia in 1997, on the cusp of the mobile communications revolution. I firmly believe that Large Language Model (LLM) driven generative AI will redefine our way of life, akin to the transformative impact mobile technology has had over the past decades. It is a privilege to be part of one of Europe's largest private AI labs, a pioneer at the forefront of this digital transformation. I look forward to contributing to the strategic scaling of Silo AI's operations to seize the immense opportunities that lie ahead." 

Ville Ilves to bolster SiloGen’s business development

Ville is an accomplished international executive with vast experience in running sales and operations for software companies in general and SaaS companies in particular. His background includes serving as CEO and COO at Rightware prior to and during its acquisition by Thundersoft, as well as VP of Sales at Nethawk and Managing Director of Unikie Estonia. In addition to a computer science degree, Ville also holds an Executive MBA. Ville joins SiloGen in a business development and sales role, primarily focusing on clients in the smart machines and smart devices segments.

Ville Ilves, VP, Business Development at SiloGen, says: 

"I'm fascinated by the ongoing technological revolution that revolves around AI. The industry is hot, and the opportunity to be part of the transformation is unique. I've worked closely with software products throughout my whole career, and that's where I feel most at home. The automotive industry is an important area of focus for applied AI. I have extensive experience in scaling software companies that I'm eagerly waiting to put to practice at Silo AI."

By the end of the year, SiloGen aims to double in size, as Silo AI continues to grow its team of AI experts with an immediate focus on expanding its concentration of generative AI and LLM experts across Europe.

For open positions, visit www.silo.ai/open-positions. 

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